Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-11

ere Army regulations! Gen. Lyons high
soldisrly Qualitiss had endeared him to
me. Ny Life was pledged to his fortunes
No one could doubt my earnest devotion
to The Confederate cause, which had been
aftested by my blood spilled upon more
than one battlefield. On the other hand
there was poor old man who had been
to me friend and benefactor, and his
life, as it were, hung 10y thread.
doubtless owesl to his skill and kindnesi
the preservation OF my own life. All un
conscious he stood on the very verge Of \
dishonorable grave. l could save him;
would my own conscience justify me ir
doing so. These reflections, much luicket
than the written expression 81 them,
chased each other through my Drain ana
aroused the most sympathetic emotions
Of my nature.
l resolved all doubts CT the side Of
mercy and gratitude. Standing near me,
/ and for the time disenCaged, was Miss
Poca Browne, a charming type of
southern womanhooi. Thrown frequently
in her society, her sad, but bright, rest
less eyes and roseless cheeks, her stately
carriage and altogether strange but be-
witching type of beauty, had ofttimcs
challenged my admiration and wonder
I
the ballroom, and requested my immedi-
ate attendance at his headquarters. |
excused myself for the time, urging an
immediate engagement with Miss Browne.
As soon as l could excuse myself /
promised to wait upon him. Turning to
the roung lady just rs the orchestral
notes gave warning Of the close of the
dance, with hasty courtesy begged her
permission for a promenade. We pushed
through the throng out upon the broad
/ southern yeranda; thence with restless
impatience | almost dragged the lady
over the lawn and out into the darkness
Of night, informing her meanwhile that l
demanded her assistance upon mission
| of life and death. and that there was not
a moment to be lost. l knew her father
| to he a warm friend of DIR. Mathewson.
but above every other consideration /
trusted TO that charity and sublime
nobility which is the touchstOne of every
true womanly nature. In a few moments
explained the situation and the good
old doctors peril.
had made no mistake. The eyes OF
my fair ally kindled with pure flame as
hastily made known to her the part she
was TO perform in the drama. The beauIi-
full girl had known, SO gentle and timid,
was now imbued with spirit as daunt-
less as that which fired the soul of Joan
dare. 1t was not great distance to the
doctors house. would wait for her mt
the end of the lawn in the shade of grea:
elm tree that stood in the moonless sky
like sentinel to guard the main approach
to the academy. She sped like an ante
lope. Her mission was fulfilled
We We're again returning to the pleasure
halls when the ciang of heavy cavalry
spurs on the stone street was heard neal
by. l recognized dismounted detail of
cayalrymen from Lyons escort going at
double quick in the direction Of DR..
Mathewson's house. 1t was too late.
Spring had returned and with it the
remnants Of Gen. Lyons cavalry division
to the camp near Paris. was again ''at
home" in my old headquarters. A very
few days after our arrival we Were
startled by intelligence of Gen. Lees sur
render. Gen. Lyon Immediately an
nounced his determination OF going TO
Mexico where the Mexican revolutiouists
had joined issue with the i'll fated Maxi
milan. All those o! the command who
desired to accompany him We're permitted
to do SO.
The town of Paris and the surrounding
country were at that time in sad con-
dition. The vast majority of the slaves,
who had formerly cultivated those fruit
ful fields, had strayed after the Federal
army, and every man young enough and
every boy old enough was far away from
his home either under the southern flag
or under southern sod. The country for
miles around Paris was impoverished or
desolate.
A guerrilla band under the notorious
Hank Wilde had made its rendezrous in
the pathless coalinSs, which lie between
those twin rivers-the Cumberland and
the Tennessee; and their accessibility to
Paris made that Little city frequently the
rallying point for their robbing raids
Their merciless savagery had stricken
terror and dismay into the hearts of the
defenseless people. These outlaws We're
generally deserters from both armies
Always well mounted, Enthusiastically
dressed, heavily armed and desperate,
they claimed no country. were without
merry and reveled in blood and plunder.
The guerrilla chief himself was a de-
ser'er from the Confederate army. His
father, at the breaking out of the war, was
a wealthy and respectable owner of large
property on the Cumberland river. Hank
was an early volunteer in the Confederate
army, and for more than a year con-
formed to the discipline of camp, and
with reckless courage faithfully performed
all the duties Of a soldier. The destruc-
ton Of his fathers house and furnaces by
the United States furnished him with an
excuse to return home without leave and
start upon the war path for revenge. He
had soon passed the dead line and placed
himself without the pale of civilized war
fare. He was outlawed by the Confeder-
ate government and a price put upon his
head.
1t was on the 14th Of April that we
had learned from our scouts OF Gen. Lees
surrender Of the grand Army Of Northern
Virginia, and we realized that the curtain
was being rung down upon the last scene in
the drama Of the Confederacy. Or the eve
ofGen. Lyons departure for Mexico he sug
gested to me that ] should 60 under flag
Of truce to Paducah, the nearest Federal
army post, and make terms with the COM
manding officer for the surrender Of the
command. Returning from my visit TO
Paducah where l had been received with
patriarchal kindness by that noble old
Roman soldier, Gen. Sol Meredith. was
cAptStlhS tNcis udS hotiNc Va tHS iotihea
ton of the terms of surrender of myself
and command by Gen. Thomas, com
mander Of the Department of the Cumber-
land, to whom the matter had been re-
ferred.
1t was on the 25th day Of April, 1865, a
beautiful, soft spring evening. The moon
hung like a silver crescent above the tall
Lombard, trees that skirted the lawn
which lay in front Of the little frame cot
tage was occupying as headquarters. l
WAS sitting alone on the veranda, watch
ing the evening shadows and reviewing in
dreamy reverie my life as Confederate
soldier l looked back through the four
years spent in constant and untiring SER
vice, and it seemed an age since had gone
for soldier in the south. Visions of the
past rose up around me, and in swift pano-
rama all the scenes of my army life, Of the
camp and of the march, Of the skirmish,
the battle and the charge passed before me.